Friday, May 9, 2025

Good morning, and welcome to RedState's "Morning Minute" — a brief glimpse at which stories are trending at the moment and a look ahead at what the day may bring. Consider this your one-stop shop for news to kickstart your day. 

TOP O' THE MORNIN'

Red-Hot at RedState 

Press Wail Over 'Undocumented Grandmother' Facing Deportation, Then the Rest of the Story Comes Out

Why should illegal immigrants be held to a lower standard than those who didn't cross the border illegally? 

Ric Grenell Drops Some Reality on Kennedy Center Performers Threatening Boycott of Trump Appearance

This is exactly how Republicans need to handle this sort of childish wokeness from the "resistance" to America First principles and all things Trump.

Heartwarming: Test Beagles' Journey From Fauci's NIH Experimentation Lab to Forever Home

“Now they love sleeping on their backs,” he added, noting the outward sign they are finally leaving their past where it belongs. “When dogs sleep like that, they have let it go and feel safe."

Trending Across Townhall Media

Police Raid Shatters British Gun Control Myth. Again.

[E]xcuse me if I don't bend over and accept that the empire we kicked out of our borders in the 18th century and that has since shrunk to a minuscule portion of where it was, a nation that now arrests people for mean words on the internet, is a country we can learn anything from other than how not to become a totalitarian hellhole in the making.

Boo Wu - Boston Sitting on a Billion Dollar Commercial Real Estate Tax Bomb

I guess the excuse this year is, 'THE BAD ORANGE MAN TOOK AWAY OUR ALLOWANCE!'

The Secretary's Got Jokes: Rubio Wows the Crowd at Hispanic Leadership Gala

The thing is, if you've ever paid any attention, Secretary Rubio has always had a great sense of humor, and that was on full display on Wednesday at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Gala, during which he was given the Lifetime Leadership Award.

Watch a Fox News Host Hilariously Shred Bernie Sanders' Faux Populism

Bernie is whatever is worse than a limousine liberal, but this segment was funny. 

Breaking: Former White House Official Camryn Kinsey Collapses On-Air on Fox News

A truly frightening moment on Fox News late Thursday night as guest Camryn Kinsey collapsed mid-sentence on-air.

WHAT'S ON TAP?

Today on Capitol Hill...

It's Friday, so no formal meetings or hearings are set today on the Hill. It's been a busy week hearing-wise, though:

SEE: Rep. Brandon Gill Destroys USA Fencing Chairman Smearing Parents Against Trans in Women’s Sports

Kash Patel Lights Up Congresswoman in Fiery Exchange Over the Real Weaponization Problem

Behind the scenes, work on the reconciliation package continues. Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) is set to meet with President Donald Trump today.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is (rightly) being blamed for the scuttling of Ed Martin's nomination for U.S. Attorney for D.C., but he's already landed elsewhere, Trump's picked a new interim for the role (Judge Jeanine Pirro), and Tillis has now drawn the ire of much of the Republican base (and likey a primary challenge). 

White House What's Up

Though it's not listed on his formal schedule, as noted above, President Trump is set to meet with Rep. Jason Smith today to discuss the reconciliation package. He'll be signing additional executive orders at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. 

Also, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will host a press briefing at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. 

Keeping Up With the Cabinet

Sec. State - Marco Rubio — Rubio announced that the State Department is reviewing the visa status of the trespassers who took over the Columbia University library earlier in the week.

Sec. Treasury - Scott Bessent — Bessent spent two days testifying on Capitol Hill this week and is now heading to Switzerland to begin trade negotiations with the Chinese. 

Sec. Defense - Pete Hegseth — Hegseth is making some sweeping changes to the military (and the anticipated wailing and gnashing of teeth has commenced). 

Attorney General - Pam Bondi — Bondi's announced some major arrests this week, including mass arrests of pedophile predators and the takedown of Sinaloa cartel members along with a huge fentanyl bust. 

Sec. Interior - Doug Burgum — Burgum noted that while last year, Floyd Bennett Field (in Brooklyn, New York) was used as an encampment for illegal immigrants under the Biden administration, it is now "being used for energy production and for the enjoyment of local athletes and families."

Sec. Agriculture - Brooke Rollins — Rollins praised the new U.S.-U.K. trade deal, calling it "a HUGE WIN for American farmers & ranchers."

Sec. Commerce - Howard Lutnick — Lutnick also applauded the trade deal announced Thursday, calling it a historic day and noting, "Now, the sixth largest economy in the world is open for business to our producers." 

Sec. Labor - Lori Chavez-DeRemer — Chavez-DeRemer shared the labor wins racking up under the Trump administration, including $8 trillion in investments secured and thousands of new manufacturing and construction jobs. 

Sec. Health & Human Services - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Kennedy was front and center for several key announcements this week, but the end of gain of function research — and Kennedy's brief summation of how we got here — was monumental. 

Sec. Housing & Urban Development - Scott Turner — Turner is touting the benefits of Opportunity Zones, noting they "have lifted 1 million people out of poverty and have attracted $89 billion in investments – investments that have brought new infrastructure, new business, and new life to communities nationwide."  

Sec. Transportation - Sean Duffy — Duffy just unveiled plans for a brand new Air Traffic Control system. 

Sec. Energy - Chris Wright — Wright outlined how Biden drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for "a little bit of an electoral advantage in 2022," and "It will take us 4-6 years to refill."

Sec. Education - Linda McMahon — McMahon laid out consequences for Harvard's refusal to follow the law: no more federal grants. 

Sec. Veterans Affairs - Doug Collins — Collins laid bare the attempt by some members of Congress and the media to push false narratives about the VA and the Trump administration. 

Sec. Homeland Security - Kristi Noem — Noem also testified before Congress this week, and the Dems made a big show of falling all over themselves. 

Admin. Environmental Protection Agency - Lee Zeldin — Zeldin recently announced a structural overhaul of the EPA "to more efficiently pursue our mission and Power the Great American Comeback."

Admin. Small Business Association - Kelly Loeffler — Loeffler celebrated Small Business Week in Nashville and toured Nissan Stadium with Governor Bill Lee "and our SBA Tennessee Small Business of the Year - some of the leading contractors on this $2B project creating thousands of good paying jobs!"

Dir. Central Intelligence Agency - John Ratcliffe — Ratcliffe praised "the many CIA officers who worked weekends and many late nights" to support the effort to get the documents regarding the Robert F. Kennedy assassination to the public, as promised.

Dir. Federal Bureau of Investigations - Kash Patel — Patel, like Noem and Bessent, spent some time testifying on the Hill this week and did a spectacular job of lighting up Rep. Madeline Dean (D-PA) (among others) over the weaponization of the government.

Dir. National Intelligence - Tulsi Gabbard — As alluded to above, Gabbard announced the release of over 60,000 documents pertaining to the RFK assassination. 

Dir. Office of Management and Budget - Russ Vought — Vought touted President Trump's 2026 budget plan. 

U.S. Trade Rep. - Jamieson Greer — Greer championed the historic trade deal with the U.K. He'll be heading to Switzerland this weekend, along with Bessent, to begin negotiations with the Chinese. 

Full Court Press...

We've had a new development in the cases involving the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) — a stay of a stay of a stay, if you will. I wrote about that yesterday. 

The Sean "Diddy" Combs trial continues in the Southern District of New York, with jury selection nearing its close. The parties are set to meet with the court this morning to go over their peremptory strikes of potential jurors and other related matters, so, at this rate, it looks like opening statements and the presentation of evidence will commence on Monday. 

COMING ATTRACTIONS

We're still awaiting that "earth-shattering" announcement that President Trump alluded to earlier in the week. He'll be heading off to the Middle East next week. 

The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the birthright citizenship cases next Thursday. (Reminder: This will go only to the nationwide injunction issue, not the core issue as to whether birthright citizenship is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment.) 

MORNING MUSING

I'll start this out with the necessary caveat: I'm not Catholic. That said, I, like many, enjoyed watching the announcement of the new Pope, Leo XIV, on Thursday. And, yes, it's got the added intrigue of him being an American — and a Chicagoan at that. Of course there's no way to know what Leo's papacy will be like. We didn't know what Francis' would be like when he first assumed the role. But setting aside the speculation as to his political leanings (which is a testament itself to how intent the world is on viewing things through a left-right lens these days), I just want to take a moment to note my appreciation for: first, the ceremony and tradition. One might argue that the pomp and circumstance are a distraction from the true purpose of the Church, but I think there's something wondrous and unifying about it. More importantly, though, for a few hours, at least, much of the world's attention was turned to the idea of faith and God. Maybe it's just me, but it feels like for years, public expressions of faith and religion — at least, the Christian faith — have been frowned upon and mocked. But it does feel a bit like the tide is turning. One can hope.

I'd be remiss, though, if I didn't also note the fantastic array of jokes and memes that presented themselves upon the naming of Pope Leo. Jen Van Laar captured many of them here, but this was my personal favorite: 

Leo XIV is from the Midwest which means he's actually the Ope

— Fr. Paul (@BackwardsFeet) May 8, 2025

(Side note: I need to work on my AI image-generating skills. I was hoping to put one together of Pope Leo XIV as a "Star Wars" character to go along with the headline, but the AI wasn't playing nice.)

LIGHTER FARE 

I know they're destructive little beasts, but man, trash pandas are cute!

Baby raccoon trying to catch bubbles..🦝🐾🫧😅 pic.twitter.com/mxtu3I7ZnG

— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) May 8, 2025

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